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Monday, 17 October 2016

Review ~ Autumn, Edited by Melissa Harrison

Elliot &Thompson
2016

There's something rather special about these beautifully expressive little books which look at the changing of the seasons in terms of articles, poems and general observations, all of which combine to celebrate this most glorious of seasons.It's one of those books which you can pick up at whim and find something which brings to life the colour and the fruitfulness of Autumn.

It could be the starkness of Percy Bysshe Shelley's Ode to the West Wind or the simplicity of Thomas Hardy's Last Week in October or even the glorious beauty of William Butler Yeats'poem The Wild Swans at Coole which catch your attention, as they did mine, or you could find that the crisp prose of talented writers, so beautifully expressed, is your favourite, but what is absolutely guaranteed is that whatever appeals to you, be it prose or poetry, there really is something for everyone contained within its 198 pages.

My absolute favourite observation comes from freelance writer Louise Baker whose beautifully written piece encapsulates all that is glorious about Autumn..." Autumn is the crunch of leaves as they scatter underfoot; it's the rustles, rattles and whispers of a woodland walk, and the wind whipping through bare branches and heaped foliage.."

Sharp and crisp with occasional touches of melancholy, this is a perfect read for the Autumn season.

As always the anthology is beautifully edited and introduced by its editor, Melissa Harrison.

There are other seasons already published, with the exception of Winter which is due out on the 20th October.

Melissa Harrison is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in South London with her husband, Anthony, and rescue dog Scout. She was the winner of the John Muir Trust’s ‘Wild Writing’ Award in 2010, and blogs about urban wildlife atwww.talesofthecity.co.uk.

My thanks to Alison at Elliot & Thompson for the opportunity to read and review this book.